Europe: Al-Qaeda practiced passing explosives through airport security

Europe: Al-Qaeda practiced passing explosives through airport security


A central intelligence source says in response to the additional scanning equipment at Schiphol airport that al-Qaeda have their own scanning and x-ray equipment with which they practice making bombs as much as possible. More than that: al-Qaeda practiced in the past in passing body-scanners at major European airports.

"Al-Qaeda is being constantly under-estimated. They have at their disposal high-quality technical equipment and train with it. They undertook 'test-runs' in European airports in order to deceive the inspections," according to the intelligence source, who was active in the Dutch military security service for years. Schiphol purchased in recent years fifteen body-scanners, which looks at the bodies of passengers through their clothing using sound waves. they also see non-metallic objects and materials.

Due to strict European privacy regulations, the body-scan can only be used now in trials on internal European flights and for inspecting airport personnel.

Schiphol doesn't guarantee that the body-scans would have detected Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab's explosive powder. Al-Qaeda says on a website that Friday's unsuccessful attack was a retaliatory operation for an American attack on the group in Yemen and calls to kill workers in Western embassies in the region.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)

See also: Netherlands: Airport guards cheered 9/11

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